


Safe and Sound

by taztaas (manala)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Napping, Nightmares, Purring Elves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2019-05-09 11:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14715332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manala/pseuds/taztaas
Summary: The purring half-elf Angus collection!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maemi2295](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maemi2295/gifts).



> For maemi324 on tumblr for introducing me to this wondrous concept that is purring Angus.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The door opens and for a few seconds, nothing happens. Then there’s the tapping of bare feet on the hardwood floor and a swishing sound that tells Taako that Angus’ blanket is draped over the boy’s shoulders and dragging behind him. Taako cringes inwardly; the late hour coupled with a blanket means nightmares.

Taako is awake as soon as his ears catch the sound of the door to Angus’ room opening and closing down the hall. He pretends he isn’t. Angus is probably just going to get a glass of water and then return to bed like the good boy he is.

Taako feels Kravitz’s cool body pressed against his back; the reaper’s face buried in his hair. He scoots back; burrows a bit closer, just because he can. The heavy arm around his waist tightens its hold and a puff of breath hits the back of his neck. Taako smiles a private smile, he can tell Kravitz is still asleep. Funnily enough, the dead man sleeps like the dead.

The sound of padding feet stops outside the bedroom door and Taako schools his expression back into careful neutrality. He hopes that Angus is just checking in on them on his way to the kitchen. The door opens and for a few seconds, nothing happens. Then there’s the tapping of bare feet on the hardwood floor and a swishing sound that tells Taako that Angus’ blanket is draped over the boy’s shoulders and dragging behind him. Taako cringes inwardly; the late hour coupled with a blanket means nightmares.

Taako listens as Angus makes his way towards the bed over the minefield that is the bedroom floor. He’s glad that Angus is a half-elf with darkvision because otherwise the kid might trip over a pair of heels or whatever and snap his neck.

Angus comes to a stop next to the bed and Taako can hear his breath shaking. Definitely nightmares, Taako thinks and his stomach sinks a bit because dammit, he’s not qualified to handle this shit. He wishes fiercely that Kravitz was awake. His boyfriend might be dead but he knows how to navigate around feelings whereas Taako is always putting his foot in his mouth.

Angus reaches up (the bed is high; Taako has slept on the cold, hard ground enough times to appreciate a good, thick mattress) to grab Taako’s arm. He gives it a little shake.

“Da- Taako,” he whispers and Taako can almost convince himself that his heart doesn’t skip a beat or two at the almost-word. “Taako!” Angus hisses, a bit louder and Taako makes a show of rousing himself from slumber, a part of him still hoping to avoid the situation entirely.

“Mmh… Whassap, little dude?” Taako says, making sure to mumble and blink his eyes blearily. Angus stands in front of him, his small pointed ears drooping and a blanket over his shoulders like a cape. His eyes are red-rimmed; he’s been crying. Taako is flooded with the intense desire to whirl around and shake Kravitz awake before escaping the room.

“I had a-,” the boy starts, hesitates and swallows thickly. “Can I- can I sleep here? Like, for a little bit?” His voice is barely loud enough to hear and after saying his piece, Angus turns to look away as if ashamed and there’s a whispered  _please_  that Taako wouldn’t have even heard if he was as sleepy as he was feigning to be. Taako feels like something is stuck in his throat and he’s cursing up a storm in his mind. He’s so bad at this.

“Sure thing, pumpkin. ‘s free real estate up here in Taako town,” Taako says, aiming for casual. He pats the bed with his palm but makes sure to yawn at the same time like he doesn’t really care. He doesn’t know the words he’s supposed to use here but if all the kid wants is to sleep in the same bed? That’s easy enough.

Angus’ smile looks watery still but he climbs up into the bed and curls under his blanket, his back towards Taako, who manages not to sigh in relief. Crisis averted, he thinks and closes his eyes.

Then he hears a sniffle.

He ignores it. Maybe the kid just has a stuffy nose and it will pass.

But then there’s another.

Taako takes a deep breath through his nose, preparing himself. Seems like he doesn’t have a choice here. He needs to do… something. He opens his eyes again and sees Angus trembling slightly under his blanket. He looks so small. He’s just a kid.

“Hey,” he whispers and Angus stills. “You wanna, like, come over here?”

“I don’t want to bother you, sir,” Angus says quietly, muffled by his blanket and something in Taako’s chest bends and breaks.

“You’re not a bother, Angus,” he says, honest for a change. “Come here baby, yeah?” He reaches for Angus who turns around, hesitates for a second, and then surges forward into Taako’s arms. He hides his face somewhere near Taako’s collarbone and sniffs.

“You’re okay kiddo,” Taako whispers against the top of Angus’ head, runs his fingers through curly hair; his touch lingering on the boy’s pointed ears. “Taako’s gotcha.”

Angus, still cocooned in his blanket lets out a deep, stuttering breath before relaxing in Taako’s arms. Taako closes his eyes, feeling drained and more than ready to go back to sleep. His fingers travel idly in Angus’ hair, straying to the back of his neck and around to brush against his little ears. He’s half asleep when he hears something.

Angus is purring.

It’s a quiet and unsure rumble at first like he hasn’t done it in a long time. Taako’s breath catches in his throat. It probably has been a while since Angus has felt comfortable enough to purr.

Taako’s hand stills in Angus’ hair as he is hit by a memory. He remembers being curled up next to Lup, together in some hidey-hole, feeling safe next to his sleeping sister and purring in unison with her, soothing each other.

And he can almost remember even further back, bundled up in the embrace of someone like a mother, lulled to sleep by the vibrations he felt, held against her chest.

Angus feels safe here, Taako realizes and bites his lip to ground himself. He can’t help it, he starts purring too, to let Angus know that there’s someone with him. Taako’s purr has a hesitant start but Angus’ purring kicks up a notch in response and the boy, fully asleep, presses closer. Without thinking, Taako lets out a reassuring trill and Angus settles down with a pleased noise.

Taako starts a little when he feels colds lips press a kiss behind his ear. It’s Kravitz, of course, the asshole. Has he been awake the whole time? If Angus wasn’t asleep (literally in his arms), Taako would kick his shitty boyfriend in the shin.

“Someone’s getting burned pancakes for breakfast,” he hisses. Kravitz chuckles against Taako’s shoulder, before kissing it. “I’m proud of you, love.”

“Fuck off,” Taako whispers half-heartedly because he’s Taako from TV, and he’s amazing at everything he does. Naturally, this parenting thing is no exception. 

He feels Kravitz move his arm to drape it over Angus as well and he grins to himself because his boyfriend is a friggin’ sap. And if Taako moves too, to hold Angus a little more securely, well, it’s not like Kravitz would tell anyone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako’s purring. And as Kravitz quietly pads close to crouch down next to his boyfriend, he realizes that there’s another sound. Angus, his head pillowed on Taako’s chest, is purring too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More! Purring! Angus!

Kravitz returns home. It’s been a while. How long exactly; he can’t tell. Tracking the passage of time is something he still struggles with. He steps out of the portal between planes and onto the bedroom floor. The sunlight pouring in through the curtains tells him it’s daytime, at least. He lets go of his scythe and it evaporates immediately at the loss of contact.

He removes his work clothes, actual physical clothes this time, and throws them into the hamper. He’d rather not carry the cold arcane scent of the astral plane with him when he’s at home. Taako has once again scattered his dirty laundry all over the room so Kravitz picks up a few of his items as well in a futile attempt to maintain order.

He digs around in his dresser for something to wear and notices that Taako has once again hidden all of his casual clothes. Casual in Kravitz’s opinion, meaning black slacks and button-ups. He’s left with sweatpants and T-shirts so he dons a soft, wine-red pair with a long sleeved shirt that is thankfully dark gray in color.

He freezes as he is pulling the shirt over his head because he realizes the house is quiet. Too quiet.

Taako should be home. The wizard had taken some time off work to help Angus settle in. The little half-elf boy had been living with the two of them only for a few weeks, though of course he and Taako had been familiar with each other for far longer because of all the Bureau business. Kravitz hadn’t had the time to get to know the boy too well yet but it was getting increasingly obvious that Angus had been spending a lot of time in Taako’s presence. The points of his little ears might be much less prominent than Taako’s - and less prone to twitching - but his canines and grin are equally sharp as those of his guardian.

The silence is unnerving enough that Kravitz leaves the room still half-way into his shirt in his haste to find out what is going on. He doesn’t get far.

A spot has been cleared out in the living room, to make room for a pile of blankets and other miscellaneous soft things like throw pillows and sweaters. And in the middle of them all is Taako. He’s laying on his back, all his limbs stretched out to take maximum advantage of the ray of sunlight beaming down on the spot. The elf is out cold, fully asleep, with Angus tucked into the crook of his arm. They’re both breathing softly, soaking up the warm light.

As Kravitz gets closer, he recognizes a low, soft rumble. Taako’s purring. And as he quietly pads close to crouch down next to his boyfriend, he realizes that there’s another sound. Angus, his head pillowed on Taako’s chest, is purring too. 

Kravitz quickly bites his fist to stop himself from making an extremely embarrassing noise. But he can’t stop himself from reaching out and running his fingers through Taako’s bangs. To his chagrin, the purring cuts off as Taako stirs.

“Mrrp?”

“Hey,” Kravitz whispers, pushing the strands of hair out of Taako’s eyes.

“Hey, yourself,” Taako says, smiling blearily until he realizes what he’s seeing and his ears perk up. “Ooh babe, lookin’ cozy!”

“You hid my clothes again,” Kravitz admonishes but keeps on playing with the bits of hair that frame Taako’s face.

“Mmm, Taako did good,” the elf mumbles, running his free hand up Kravitz’s arm appreciatively. “You wanna join our nap-pile?”

Before Kravitz can answer, Angus awakes, roused by Taako’s lack of purring. He cranes his neck and blinks sluggishly at Kravitz. The boy seems to recognize him even without his glasses, after a bit of squinting. He turns back around with a small huff and smushes his face back against Taako’s sweater.

Taako gives Angus a little pat on the side to settle him before wrapping his arm around the boy again. He gives Kravitz a questioning look. “You in?”

“I just got home,” Kravitz says. “I’m still cold, I wouldn’t want to ruin your nice and toasty spot.”

“Hmm, I’ll warm you right up baby,” Taako coos and extends a foot to rub against Kravitz’s ankle. Kravitz raises a brow at him.

“Well, the sunlight will,” Taako grins. “And besides, since Ango’s using me as a pillow, you get to be mine.”

“Yours, huh,” Kravitz muses out loud with a smug smile.

Taako scrunches his nose in displeasure, though the redness of his ears betrays him. “Gross,” he says and kicks Kravitz in the knee half-heartedly. “Gross-a-rooney. Get out of my house.”

“I live here too darling. Are you evicting me?” Kravitz gives his most charming smile and bats his eyelashes for good measure. Taako melts.

“Fuck, you’re so handsome,” he curses under his breath. “Can’t stay mad at you, get down here!” he says and tugs on Kravitz’s arm, making him stumble down onto the pile of blankets. Taako pushes and pulls at Kravitz, arranging his limbs until he’s satisfied, careful not to disturb Angus.

They end up with Kravitz on his back with his arm curled around Taako who is tucked against his side. Angus is sandwiched between them and the boy wiggles around until he gets comfortable, ending up sprawled half on top of them both. Kravitz closes his eyes and relaxes. The ends of Taako’s hair tickle at his fingers at Taako’s waist and he brings his hand up to hold Angus’, where it lays on Kravitz’s chest.

Kravitz feels himself starting to thaw and soon enough, the purring starts anew.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angus was sick and he knew it was a dumb idea to isolate himself instead of going to Taako and Kravitz for help. But Taako was sick too and he didn’t want to be a burden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one! At least for a while. For anon who asked for sick Angus purring to make himself feel better on [my tumblr.](https://taztaas.tumblr.com/post/174411012117/a-pure-concept-after-reading-your-post-about)

Angus was hiding. Well, not hiding per se, he just… wanted to be alone. He was not-hiding in the furthest corner of Taako’s walk-in closet, curled up on a pile of winter clothes, purring to himself for comfort, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his fists in one of Taako’s pink faux-fur coats.

He was sick and he knew it was a dumb idea to isolate himself instead of going to Taako and Kravitz for help. But Taako was sick too and he didn’t want to be a burden. Besides, no cure for the common cold, right? The only way to get better was to get some rest and that he could do by himself.

He was feeling really lousy, though. And kind of feverish. And Taako had told him time and time again that he didn’t need to deal with things all by himself anymore but…

He tried to sleep.

Angus didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke up when his makeshift nest was disturbed. Someone was pulling away the coats he had buried himself under. Angus whined, he just wanted to sleep. Someone laughed, sounding a little hoarse.

“There’s my magic boy,” Taako crooned, pushing strands of sweat-slicked hair off of Angus’ forehead. “You got the shitty flu too huh? Poor baby.” Taako carded his fingers through Angus’ hair one more time before he slid his hands under the boy to lift him up in his arms. “I know just the thing.”

Angus didn’t want to open his eyes. He felt gross like his head was full of cotton and it was hard to breathe through his nose. He hid his face in Taako’s robe and was already falling back asleep when he heard hurried footsteps followed by Kravitz’s voice.

“Taako, I- Oh, you found him.” Frantic at first, then relieved. “Should you be doing that?” He asked, sounding nervous, and Angus presumed that he meant lifting 11-year-old detectives.

“I have  _the flu_ , Kravitz, I’m not an invalid,” Taako snapped but Angus could tell that he was more amused than annoyed. “But fine, here, have him!”

Angus grunted as he was hoisted into Kravitz’s arms instead. “Oh! Uh…” Kravitz floundered, not expecting the sudden armful of Angus but he was quick to secure his hold around the boy. Angus discovered a newfound appreciation for the low body temperature of his other parental unit and went ahead and rested his burning forehead against the cool skin of Kravitz’s neck with a satisfied sigh.

“Taako, he’s burning up!” Kravitz hissed and Taako snickered before dissolving into coughs.

“He’ll be fine, babe,” the elf assured, out of breath. “People don’t die of the flu anymore.” More coughing. “Fuck! Maybe cha’boy will be the one exception.”

Kravitz squeaked, though he would later insist that he did not.

“I’m joking, Krav.”

Angus started to drift off.

When he woke up again, he found himself on the couch. He was laying on Taako, who was laying against Kravitz, all three of them submerged in the softest blankets their home could offer.

Angus realized he was purring, out of contentment this time, and so was Taako. Angus watched, bleary-eyed, as Kravitz ran his cool fingers through Taako’s hair, lightly scratching his scalp. Every passing touch made Taako’s purr rev up momentarily, to Angus’ amusement.

Angus let out a little cough as he tried to stifle his laugh. Taako cracked an eye open and smirked at him. He reached up for Kravitz’s other hand and placed it on Angus’ head. The cool digits felt amazing against Angus’ feverish skin and he blinked in surprise as his purr kicked up against his will.

Taako barked a laugh and grimaced right after. “Fuck, my throat hurts so bad,” he whined. “Guess you’re lucky you’re already dead bones. Can’t be killed by a shitty disease.” He mumbled, already dozing off. The cold hand running through Angus’ hair stilled.

“He’s joking again,” Angus assured and Kravitz huffed before resuming what he was doing. Angus was lulled to sleep by the comforting, repeated motion and the reassuring proximity of his family.


End file.
